Day 3: Gyeongbokgung Palace and The Cookin' Nanta Show

By Shima Azmira

On the third day, we woke up bright and early in the morning, ready to learn about Korea’s ancient history at the Gyeongbokgung Palace, a place of residence for Kings of the Joseon dynasty. What better way to discover ancient Korean history than to dress the part?

Our first stop was a hanbok rental shop, a place to rent the traditional Korean attire for semi-formal or formal occasions. We made our way to the shop, all excited and hyped up to experience authentic ancient Korean culture! The array of colourful hanbok sets for both men and women were set up on racks, resembling a rainbow. We got to customise our own hanbok sets, and even got to choose our own accessories. The friendly store owners gladly helped us whenever we encountered any problems.

The tour started off with a performance by the palace guards. It was amazing to see how rich the culture is, even after so many centuries!

We were then taken on a tour of the palace, it was enlightening to finally be able to experience seeing all of the historical monuments in real life. Along the way, there were also many photo-worthy spots for us students to take pictures at!

Victoria looking like an actual Korean princess!

Even the boys were having fun getting their photos taken!

The tour highlighted places such as the King’s bedroom, the royal reception area that was surrounded by a lake, and the King’s throne. Each area of the palace has a story behind it, which makes it all the more interesting. Our tour guide, Mr Peter, never failed to mention little tidbits of ancient historical facts about certain artefacts such as the astronomer’s sundial, and how it helps the astronomer predict the King’s reign.

We ended off the tour with a group picture, showing that we went through a slice of ancient Korea’s history! It was truly a moment to remember.

"The hanbok tryout was an exciting and unique experience!" – Ron

We then headed to our next location, Hongdae Street! The busy streets were filled with students, locals and tourists alike! There were many restaurants and bars lined up along the streets, showing how Hongdae appeals to the younger generation. Loud music blasts from different shops to attract customers.

After a good session of shopping, we headed on to our last activity, which was the Cookin’ Nanta Show! We were all so excited for the show, having heard so much about it. The show began with a soft, slightly demure opening with the four main actors of Cookin’ Nanta Show starting off the show with a slow percussion piece that built up to become an extravagant piece.

The stage of Cookin' Nanta Show

The show then transitioned to tell a story of how four eccentric chefs were given a time limit to create a buffet for a wedding. The playful theatrics that each character displayed helped them portray their characters flawlessly. This show is definitely one to make your sides hurt from laughing!

"The Nanta Show was extremely comical and unlike anything I've seen before!" – Ong Chin